Selected Writings of Matias Masucci

Screenwriting Samples

Clear Skies (fiction)

Sooner or later everyone misses the rain. It just happens. You wake up one day alone in a strange town you’ve been living in for the past twenty years and are certain you don’t belong. The problem with the sun is that it makes it difficult to hide from others and yourself. I checked to see if the bag was still under the bed. It was. It wasn’t a dream. I pulled it out and stared at all that cash. It represented the dreams and aspirations of decent people I no longer cared for.

Clear skies. Waiting for darkness was not an option. I threw a few things on top of the money and headed out of town. Once the parking meters were no longer lining the sidewalk I knew I’d be in the clear, at least for a few hours. Rural America came up on me quick. I felt remorse for the smiles I had shared with the good people of the Clarkson Farmers Savings & Loans. It was only a matter of time before they would discover their colleague was a crook.

Milwaukee’s Race for City Hall (politics)

Amidst one of the most divisive presidential primaries in recent history, the city of Milwaukee turns its eyes toward the exercise of democracy at the local level. This year’s mayoral election is gearing up to be as polarizing as what we have seen in the national landscape.

Today’s debate was hosted by the good people of the Public Policy Forum. The incumbent, Mayor Tom Barrett, faced the challenger, Alderman Bob Donovan, a 16-year veteran of the city’s Common Council. Opening remarks were done away with and the first question came before the small contingent of electors had fully settled. “What will your top three priorities be in your first one hundred days?”

Mayor Barrett spoke about jobs, new developments and took the opportunity to bash the City of Chicago “for having to borrow $220 million to make its pension payments”. In contrast “his city” did not, thanks to “the strong fiscal stewardships we’ve had for the last 12 years”. As if Rahm Emanuel wasn’t having a hard enough time as it is, his counterpart in Milwaukee has chosen to throw him under the bus while seeking reelection.

Narita’s Edokkozushi (travel)

Perhaps you’ve heard the name before, Narita is Tokyo’s largest airport and if you’ve been to Japan, chances are you’ve landed there. To most, the little town of Narita is nothing but a blur flashing by the windows of the bullet train to Tokyo. Those brave enough to take a chance on this magical little place are in for a pleasant surprise.

Edokkozushi is a one-of-a-kind dining experience. This hole-in-the-wall is touted by the locals as “one of the best Sushi restaurants in Japan”. Finding this restaurant isn’t easy but well worth the effort. The best place to start is the Narita JR train station. Walk away from the station past the taxi loading zone and downhill toward the red wooden bridge. Take a sharp left onto an alleyway before you get to the bridge. Edokkozushi is half a block down on the right.